Real hold no fear for 'quality' Tottenham, says Eriksen

REUTERS

(Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur have plenty of quality and no need to be afraid of Real Madrid in their Champions League clash in Spain on Wednesday, midfielder Christian Eriksen has said.
The Danish international scored the winner as Spurs beat Bournemouth 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday and Eriksen has set his sights on another good showing against the European champions at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“You need quality and belief. I think we have both so I don’t think we should be scared of anything,” Eriksen told British media.
“I haven’t won there yet so I need to change something. Of course it’s a special stadium, a special place.
“Playing against Real will always be special for any footballer with the history they have and the players there so it will be a good test, to see how far we’ve really come.”
Tottenham, level on six points with Real in Group H, will be look to avenge a 4-0 defeat they suffered the last time the two teams met in Madrid in the 2010-11 season.
Two members of the Tottenham team that lost to Real — Gareth Bale and Luka Modric — have since moved to the Spanish giants while Tottenham have a new hero in Harry Kane.
The England striker has struck five times in two Champions League games and six times in the Premier League but Eriksen was keen to stress that Spurs, despite Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola’s assertion, were not a one-man team.
“Of course nobody wants to be called a one-man team,” he said.
“I think over the last few seasons it’s been almost the same team every season. We know each other very well.
“There are strong links between all the players and a good feeling going into training and going into the games. We’ve got something special and I hope that’s what people on the outside see, and it’s what the squad feels.”
Ben Davies is a doubt for the match after the Welsh defender missed the Bournemouth match with illness and manager Mauricio Pochettino said the club was working towards getting the rest of the squad ready for a huge challenge in the Spanish capital.
“We need to recover well after two weeks with the players away, and now after the massive effort against Bournemouth,” Pochettino said.
“Until Tuesday we need to work hard, all the staff, to try and help the players recover.”

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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